Japan Rail Pass NowAustralia's No.1 Choice
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Japan Rail Pass NowAustralia's No.1 Choice
A national Japan Rail Pass is not always the right answer. If your trip stays inside one region, a regional pass usually costs less, and several cover things the national pass does not, including some Nozomi services, private railways and ferries.
There are more of these than most travellers realise, and the coverage areas overlap in ways that are easy to get wrong. Below they are grouped by region. Each page sets out what is covered, what is excluded, whether it is likely to pay off, and how to buy it.
The general rule: buy the smallest pass that fits your route. The exception is when your trip crosses two or more regions, at which point a wider pass is usually both cheaper and simpler than stacking narrow ones.
Hokuriku Arch PassTokyo to Osaka via the Sea of Japan coast, taking in Kanazawa. 7 days.
JR East PassEastern Japan from Tokyo through Tohoku, Nagano and Niigata. Replaced the old Nagano/Niigata and Tohoku passes in March 2026.
JR Tokyo Wide PassGreater Kanto including Nikko, Karuizawa and Mount Fuji access. 3 days.
JR East South Hokkaido Rail PassTokyo north through Tohoku to Hakodate, including the Seikan Tunnel crossing. 6 flexible days.
Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist PassNagoya to Osaka via Takayama, Shirakawago and Kanazawa, with the Shirakawago bus included. 5 days.
JR Kansai-Hokuriku Area PassKansai plus the Hokuriku coast to Kanazawa and Toyama. 7 days.
JR Hokuriku Area PassThe Hokuriku coast alone: Fukui, Kanazawa and Toyama. 4 days.
Mt Fuji Shizuoka Area Tourist Pass MiniShizuoka and the southern approach to Mount Fuji. 3 days.
Kansai Wide Area JR PassKansai plus Okayama, Kinosaki Onsen, Amanohashidate and Tottori. 5 days.
West Kansai Pass / Kansai Area PassThe Kansai core: Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara and Himeji. 1 to 4 days.
Kansai Railway Pass LiteSubways, private railways and buses across Kansai. Renamed from the Kansai Thru Pass in April 2026. 2 or 3 non-consecutive days.
Ise-Kumano-Wakayama Area Tourist PassThe Kii Peninsula: Ise Grand Shrine, the Kumano Kodo trails and the Wakayama coast. 5 days.
Kansai-Hiroshima Area PassKyoto and Osaka west along the Sanyo coast to Hiroshima and Miyajima. 5 days.
Sanyo-San’in Area PassKansai through to Fukuoka across both Chugoku coasts. 7 days.
Sanyo-San’in Northern Kyushu PassThe widest JR West option: Kansai, both Chugoku coasts and northern Kyushu. 7 days.
JR West All Area PassThe entire JR West network, Kansai to Hakata and up the Hokuriku coast. 7 days.
JR Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Area PassThe far west of Honshu, Hiroshima across to Yamaguchi and Hakata. 5 days.
JR Okayama-Hiroshima-Yamaguchi Area PassOkayama and Kurashiki west to Hakata, plus the crossing to Takamatsu. 5 days.
JR Setouchi Area PassThe Seto Inland Sea, its islands and ferries, plus northern Shikoku. 7 days.
All Shikoku Rail PassAll of Shikoku including private railways and city trams. 3 to 7 days.
Kyushu Rail PassAll of Kyushu, or just the north or south. 3, 5 or 7 days.
Hokkaido Rail PassJR Hokkaido conventional lines across the island. 5, 7 or 10 days.
Ensure you get the most out of your trip to the land of the rising sun with our comprehensive 249-page Japan Travel Guide.
